Device for the connecting of branch wires on power current lines



March 20, 1934. A, EGGLER E 1,951,475

DEVICE FOR THE CONNECTING 0F BRANCH WIRES ON POWER CURRENT LINES Filed Feb. 16. 1931 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 PATENT OFFICE l DEVICE FOR THE CONNECTING OF BRANCH WIRES N POWER CURRENT LINES Alfons Eggler, Zurich, Switzerland Application February 16, 1931, Serial No. 516,172 In Switzerland November 15, 1930 3 Claims.

Accidents occur owing to carelessness on the part of persons engaged on installation work on power current lines. The fitting of safety branch wires was not possible in practical and quick I manner so that the mechanic was tempted to do without same. Although it is possible, to connect safety wires by means of clips, a certain element of danger still remains.

The invention relates to a device for connectl0 ing tap lines, especially to power current lines and consists in that a holder made of insulating material is provided with a contact serving as counter bearing for the wires, with which contact a. lead-in cable is electrically connected. A

-116 spring biased clamping lever is oscillatably mounted in the holder, by means of which lever the wire inserted between the holder and the lever is forced against the counter bearing contact.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in Which:-

Fig. 1 shows the device in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view looking towards the clamping lever.

Fig. 4 shows the device in top plan view and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the contact element. I

A holder 1 made of hard insulating material, such as hard rubber, Bakelite and the like, is provided with a cavity 2 extending from one of its longitudinal sides. A clamping lever 4 is mounted in the cavity 2 on a screw bolt 3, which lever projects at the upper end of the holder and has a large head 5. An arm 6 of a helical spring 8, slipped over the screw bolt 7, bears against the lower part of the clamping lever.

i The other arm 6 of the helical spring 8 bears against the inner longitudinal edge 9 formed by the cavity, and the helical spring 8 acts in such a manner that the clamping lever or its head 5 tends to move towards a contact 10. The contact 45 10 is held on the upper side end of the holder by means of a screw 11. 'Ilie contact has two upwardly curved flaps 12 directed towards the clamping lever and forming the counter bearing for the wire. The screw 11 is screwed into 0 a sleeve like nut 14 inserted in a longitudinal bore 13 in the holder 1. The tap line cable 16 inserted into the bore 13 from below is connected to the nut 14 by means of a screw 15.

For the purpose of fitting the device accord- 5 ing to the application to a power current line,

the holder is gripped with one hand and the lower part of the clamping lever 4 pressed inwards, so that the head 5 moves away from the contact 10. The wire 17 is then inserted between the head and the contact until it bears on the upper end side of the holder. The clamping lever 4 is then released and returns into its initial position under the action of the helical spring 8. The wire 17 is thus pushed and pressed by the clamping lever against the arms 12 of the contact 10, thereby establishing an electric connection. The flaps 12 grip partly around the wire 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and also the head 5 engages over the same, so that an unintentional dropping out of the wire is absolutely impossible in the ordinary way, even in the event of considerable thrust and pulling effects. As the clamping lever can be guided between the flaps 12, a connection to thin and thick wires is ensured in a reliable manner.

The fitting on the wires, as also the removing therefrom can be effected in the shortest time and without any danger.

The device according to the invention is especially adapted for electricians working on power current lines and desiring to establish an earthing or other safety connection. It can evidently however also be employed for other purposes, namely everywhere, where it is desired to establish a temporary connection to an electric line.

I claim:-

1. A device for connecting up tap wires especially to power current lines comprising in combination a holding element made of insulating material having a longitudinal bore and a groove extending from one side, a spring pressed clamping lever oscillatably mounted Within the groove in said holding element, an overhanging head on the free end of said lever, a contact element on said holding element, a tap wire in said bore connected to said contact element, a bent portion on the end of said contact element being adapted to coact with said overhanging head to embrace the power current line and establish conductive connection between the power current line and said tap wire through said contact element.

2. A device as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the body having a longitudinal bore, a contact element and a tap wire, a sleeve-like nut in said bore connected at its lower end to said tap wire, and a screw connecting said contact element to said nut.

3. A device for connecting up tap wires especially to power current lines comprising in comallow the passage of said lever and to coact with s said overhanging head to tightly grip the power current line so that it cannot move laterally and to establish conductive connection between the power current line and a tap Wire in said bore connected to said contact element.

ALFONS EGGLER. 

